A Second Chance
by EternalEvilPanda
Summary: One year after Marian shows up in Storybrooke, problems arise for Regina in the form of a villain. Not only has Robin gone back to Marian, but Roland is in trouble with this new villain. Can Regina ignore her broken heart and come over to the good side to defeat this creature, and in the process, find her way back to her true love? After all, true love is the most powerful magic.
1. Storybroken

**~Regina~**

He looked as perfect as the first day I had met him—the moment I had fallen for him. Not much had changed about his look apart from his attire. He had traded his green rags for a gray v-neck t-shirt, his signature green scarf, and jeans. It made me smile. Even with different clothes, he still stuck to the color that brought out the emerald flecks in his eyes—green. My heart yearned to be with him once again, forever and always—my Robin. I turned away from him as Marian took the seat across the booth from him. It hurt too much; he hurt too much.

It had been a year since Marian had resurfaced from Zelena's portal due to the "goodness" in Emma's heart. No matter how convinced everyone in town was of the Charmings, their sense of righteousness always seemed to come at the cost of someone else's happiness. This time, like most others, was mine. Now, staring at Robin and Marian enjoying a simple meal at Granny's, I finally understood my fate—evil will never get a happily ever after. As Marian reached across the table to grab Robin's hand, a tear found its way down my cheek and before I knew it, one teardrop turned into a river.

I looked away and wiped my eyes. There was no point in mourning over something I could never have. I had found love twice, and had lost it twice. Slowly, the waterworks came to a stop. I had to get out of here. Being this close to him, yet being unable to be with him was suffocating. I could barely breathe. The air was surrounding me, enclosing me in its embrace. I undid my scarf and grabbed my purse through glazed eyes. As I got up however, my hand caught the edge of the table and the contents of my bag spilled out on the ground in front of me.

I got down and quickly threw my belongings back into the purse. A hand caught hold of mine as I reached out to grab my compact. Sparks ignited where we touched, making goose bumps appear along the length of my arms and legs. My heart started to race. There was only one person in the entire world that could cause such a reaction in me.

"Robin," I whispered, somewhat breathlessly.

"Regina," he responded. "Are you alright?"

Looking him in his eyes, I said, "Yes, I'm fine. Just on my way out."

"Are you sure everything is fine? You don't seem ok. What is going on?" he asked with concern in his eyes.

"I just told you. I am fine and am late to meet Henry, so if you could be so kind as to leave my hand, I would greatly appreciate it. Besides, you lost the right to ask me that a year ago," I retorted with a steely gaze. "Thanks for your help, but next time, just stay out of my way". I snatched my compact up and broke out of his grip, making my way to the door with hasty yet confident strides.

"Regi-," Robin's voice was cut off as the door to Granny's slammed shut behind me.

I stood by the entrance, drawn to his voice. Every fiber in my being was pleading for me to walk back through that door, straight into the arms of the love of my life, but I willed myself not to turn around. The fresh air was a refreshing welcome that helped calm my nerves and allowed me to collect myself. _What was I thinking? How could I have gone back to that man?_ After everything he had done to me, after everything he had promised me and broken the moment _she_ had come back into town. Not only had Robin broken my heart, he had shattered me completely beyond repair.

That's it. No one would ever come close to hurting me again from this point on, I vowed. Coming to this decision, I found a renewed strength in me. With a new resolve, I walked away from the diner, never looking back. From today, Robin would have no effect on me. In fact, nobody will.

"I will destroy anyone who comes in my way. I will reign terror over Storybrooke," I declared with a smirk. "The Evil Queen is back".

With that, I walked back towards my home ready to take on anything and anyone that dared crossed my path. Fortunately for the people of Storybrooke, night was setting in and not many were seen roaming the town at such an hour. Only when I was in the safety of my home did I feel the full weight of what had just happened. He had spoken to me. My Robin had gone out of his way to talk to me at the diner—in front of his wife. It had been almost a year since the last time we had had any means of communication. A range of emotions ran through me, yet, I had no idea what any of this meant. Could it mean hope for us? No. His wife was back. How could I even believe for a moment that Robin would leave her for me? They had a child together and as much as Roland had become my son in the time before Marian appeared, the truth was, Marian was his real mother, and in his eyes, she was and always would be his only mother.

I stifled a yawn. Thinking about all my drama had worn me out. I had done enough for today. I kicked off my shoes and got into bed. I was overcome with sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I didn't fight it. I succumbed to the darkness and waited for it to wash away all my sorrows over the past year. Too bad even in sleep, my problems were far from over. As my eyes closed shut, the nightmares began.


	2. Once Upon a Nightmare

**~Robin~**

I turned around to gather my surroundings, but was shrouded in darkness, making it difficult for me to know anything about my whereabouts. Living in the forest, however, had sharpened my other senses. The air hung thick around me and the place smelled of a scent I knew much too well—forest. I walked a few steps ahead to verify my suspicions when the snap of a twig brought me to a halt. A silhouette appeared in my periphery but when I turned to look, it was gone.

I was not alone in this place, I was sure of it now. Wherever I was, there were others here with me. Now all I had to do was find out if they were likely allies or enemies. But where was I? I tried to think back to when I got here—_no how did I get here?_ I could not recall anything since I had run into Regina at Granny's. _Regina_. Even after an entire year, just saying her name still had an effect on me. She was the one I saw every time I closed my eyes. Her hair, the color of the midnight sky, her lips, full and red as the apples on her tree, her smile, radiant as the sun; the smile that had disappeared the day I crushed her heart. That heart that I had promised her I would never break. How could I still be thinking about her after I had made my decision to stay with Marian? My head said it was the right choice, but my heart didn't accept that. _Stop it. You have no right thinking about her anymore. The only way to let her move on is if you let her go forever. _The rustling of the bushes behind me brought me back to my surroundings.

As I approached the bushes, I could make out a shadow that became more solid the closer I got, until there was no doubt that the figure was of a small child.

"Hello," I said, but got no response. "My name is Robin. What's yours?"

"Help me," the child replied in a shaky voice.

"Alright, I will help you but can you first tell me where we are?"

"Ple-plea-please he-help me. H-he will t-take me."

"Who will take you? I won't let him but you have to help me stop him. Can you do that?"

"Y-yes."

"Good. Now, let's start with an easy question. What is your name?"

"R-Ro-Roland."

I stood rooted to the ground as I realized I was talking to my own son.

"Daddy, help!" yelled Roland, bringing me out of my state of shock.

I reached out to grab him, only to feel thin air where my boy had been standing moments ago.

"Roland!" I shouted, jumping off my bed.

I pulled off my covers and rushed to the room across the hall, acutely aware of Marian sleeping. I pulled the door open, and there he was, my boy, sound asleep. I breathed a sigh of relief and ran my hand across my face to wipe the off sweat. I walked to Roland's bed and planted a light kiss on his forehead. He was real. _It was just a dream. Roland is right here in front of my eyes._ Never again would I let him out of my sight, I vowed. I hauled the rocking chair in the corner of his room over by his bed and took a seat. Keeping watch over my son would assist in calming my nerves.

Sitting there however, brought me back to memories of Regina. The day we had met was still fresh in my memories, as if it had just been yesterday. I had heard the rumors of all the terrible things the Evil Queen had done, but when I laid eyes on her, she was the only thing I saw. That instant connection between us had been undeniable, no matter how hard she had tried to ignore it. We had saved each other from the beginning. The time I had the honor of saving her from the flying monkey to the time she had protected Roland in the forest. Even with no memories of each other from our time in the Enchanted Forest, fate had brought us back together here, in Storybrooke. She had asked, "Have we met before?" To which I replied, "I doubt I'd ever forget meeting you." My response was honest. How could I ever forget that day? That was our first meeting in this town, when we had become a team. The first thing I noticed was her audacity to never back down from a fight. She had a mischievous glint in her eyes that intrigued me to get to know more about her.

Then, it happened. The initial spark had been ignited when she entrusted me with her heart. That was when I knew that she too felt the connection between us. She saw more than a common thief in me. It had been a long time since anybody had seen more in me. Even when I had given up her most prized possession to the Dark One in exchange for Roland's life, she understood. "Nothing's worth the loss of a child," I remembered her words. She was worried for MY child, whom she barely knew at the time! I had not forgiven myself for letting her down, but she had. The day of our first kiss was the day I knew I was in trouble. Even with a missing heart, she had felt something real. Our connection was deeper than simple attraction—it was pure magic. _True love_. The words popped into my head before I could stop them, and I knew it was true. I had never experienced such intense passion for anyone before—not even Marian.

This was the last thought I had as my eyes gave in to sleep. The face I saw as my eyes snapped shut was hers, _my Regina_, just as I had been seeing since the moment I fell for her.


	3. Psychedelic Encounters

**~Regina~**

"Roland!" I yelled, sitting up straight. As my eyes flew open, I realized where I was—in my bedroom. _It was just a drea- no, a nightmare._ I placed a shaky hand over my heart and tried to calm my breathing. My brow was dotted with sweat. Never had a dream felt so real before. As my breathing became more controlled, the fog from my mind began to clear up. That's when I realized, _what if this wasn't a nightmare? What if something really has happened to Roland?_ I thought back to the horror I had just perceived: Roland in the middle of a dark forest calling for my help, slipping away, like sand through my fist, moments before I had a chance to save him. He had to be alright. My son was with _his_ parents. Robin would never let anything happen to Roland, but I had to be sure.

I raced over to my phone and dialed Robin's number. It rang twice before a voice answered on the other line.

"Hello?"

I hung up, recognizing the voice. It was Marian. How could I have even thought to question her about Roland when he was _her_ son? _How could I be so stupid? _Roland had a family. He didn't need me anymore. _But I needed him._ This was about Roland's safety. A terrible sense of dread settled over me. Roland could be in danger if I didn't know where or how he was. I had to make sure _my_ Roland was actually here. I had to see him; I had to hear his voice. Only then could I move on from this crazy hallucination.

With a new resolve, I quickly washed up, put on the first outfit I spotted, and hurried out the door. I made my way towards Robin's residence, ignoring everything and everyone who crossed my path. I had one goal and that was to make sure my son was safe. Nothing else mattered at the moment. As I turned the corner past Granny's, I ran into the one person that I most definitely did not want to see—Emma Swan.

"Regina," Emma whispered, in a state of shock.

"I'm in a bit of a hurry at the moment. So if you could speed up your surprise of seeing me alive and well, I would be very grateful," I retorted, as I attempted to make my way around her.

"Regina, wait. Look I'm sorry about everything that happened. I know it's my fault and I'm sorry things turned out the way they did. You have to see my side too. I was helpless! I couldn't let an innocent die! I didn't know who she was but she was still a person, and no innocent person deserved to die. Not if I could help it. But I'm relieved to know that you're ok."

"Nothing about my situation is ok Miss Swan, but now is not a good time. I would love to continue this conversation another time. Perhaps over some tea and biscuits? We could even go watch a movie if you would like. What do you say?" I replied, sarcastically.

"I'm trying to apologize! Why can't you seem to get that? I truly am sorry for all the pain I've caused you!"

"Like I said, let's talk another time. I need to go."

"No. I'm not going to move until I know what it is you want from me. What do I have to do to gain your forgiveness?"

"Move out of my way right now Miss Swan, if not things are going to get ugly. You forget that I have powers much greater than yours. If you have not left in the next ten seconds, I will toss you like a rag doll. One, two, three…."

"Fine. Close yourself off. I will keep trying though. You will forgive me eventually. I know you will," Emma declared before walking off towards the diner.

The words Emma had spoken threatened to fill my brain but I quickly shoved them aside. At the moment, Roland was my only priority and if I got caught up in my own drama even for a second, I would lose sight of what was more important—my son's safety. My determination renewed, I continued on my way to my true love's house. In a matter of minutes I was by the edge of Robin's camp, his tent in my line of sight. I froze, terrified of everything that could happen if I came face-to-face with Robin. Multiple scenarios ran through my mind, each one more painful than its predecessor: Robin ignored my pleas to see Roland then threw me out of his camp, Robin apologized for the pain he caused me, or Robin and Marian together—happy.

Robin stopped as his eyes met mine across the distance. _I shouldn't have come_. As I turned to leave however, he swiftly approached me and grabbed my arm, pulling me to him.

"Regina," he breathed. "Wha-"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come. I'm leaving, goodbye Robin," I cut in.

"No you're not. I have so much to say. You feel it too don't you? The connection is still there."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied.

"Yes you do, don't lie to me. I see it in your eyes, Regina. You feel the pull towards me just as much as I feel it towards you," Robin replied as he pulled me closer until I was enveloped in his scent.

"Maybe I do. But it doesn't matter because you're married and I'm nobody to you anymore," I declared, as I attempted to avoid looking into those green flecked eyes I knew I could get lost in, and failed miserably.

"What matters is that even after all this time, I want—I need you. You're the one that has stolen my heart, Regina. I could never go back. Not since the moment I met you. I tried forgetting and going back to Marian like any good husband would do, but the truth is she's not the last face I see everytime I close my eyes. She's not the one who appears in my dreams, you are. I love you, Regina Mills. Always have, always will," he announced before drawing me in for a kiss.

My resolve melted, my worries disappeared. All I knew was that Robin and I were the only ones in existence. Nothing else mattered. That kiss confirmed my feelings for him had never died. I ran my hands through his hair and pulled him closer. He responded, grabbing me tighter by the waist. I craved his taste, I _needed_ it. We were one. No one could tear us apart.

The sound of footsteps brought me out of my daze. My heart felt more broken than it had over the past year. _How could I even think for a second Robin missed me? He had picked Marian. I had to stop torturing myself like this. _There was nothing to be done about it now. I had to focus on the task at hand. Enough thinking about what could happen if I ran into him. This time was all about acting, if not for anyone, then for my son.

I took a few calming breaths, letting all thoughts of Robin dissipate and put up a wall in my head so emotion would not get the better of me, should I be confronted by the man I loved. I approached the tent and reached out to open the flap when it flew open. As I looked up, I was caught off guard by who I saw. None of the scenarios I had seen had prepared me for this.


End file.
